Rebecca Lee Dorsey
Rebecca Lee Dorsey | |
---|---|
Born | August 30, 1859 Port Deposit, Maryland |
Died | March 29, 1954 Los Angeles, California |
Occupation(s) | Physician, obstetrician, endocrinologist |
Relatives | Robert Kellard (grand-nephew) |
Rebecca Lee Dorsey (August 30, 1859 – March 29, 1954) was an American physician and endocrinologist. She is known as the world's first female endocrinologist and the first woman physician to practice in Los Angeles.[1]
Early life and education
Dorsey was born in Port Deposit, Maryland, the daughter of William Hammond Dorsey and Ellen Martha Gillespie Dorsey.[2] She was a sickly child, who cared for her mother and siblings as they died from tuberculosis.[1] She attended Wellesley College and later became the first Wellesley graduate to earn a medical degree.[3] Dorsey attended Boston University School of Medicine, graduating in June 1883. She then traveled to Europe to study under Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch, and Joseph Lister.[4] Shortly before her death in 1954, a Los Angeles Times profile called her "possibly the only living link in the medical world with the men who laid the foundations of modern medicine."[5]
Career
Dorsey moved to Los Angeles in 1886, and established her own medical practice, specializing in
Dorsey was involved in a number of legal disputes. In the 1890s, she was arrested for failing to report a case of
Personal life
Dorsey never married. She adopted and raised her niece, who was named Rebecca Lee Dorsey Jr.
References
- ^ a b c Rasmussen, Cecilia (February 3, 1997). "A Medical Pioneer's Many Firsts". Los Angeles Times. p. 171 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Daughters of the American Revolution, Lineage Book. p. 32.
- ISBN 9780313323713.
- ISBN 978-1-4939-0526-3.
- ^ a b Wibberley, Leonard (1954-02-05). "Story of Rebecca Lee Dorsey, M. D." The Los Angeles Times. p. 29. Retrieved 2023-01-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "'Little Beckie': The Story of a Girl Who Rose from Humble Rank in Lower End to be Noted Physician in the West". The Inquirer. 1913-07-05. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-01-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ISBN 9781508100959.
- ^ "Failed to Report a Case". Los Angeles Herald. 1896-11-14. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-01-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Woman Doctor Again in Court". Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. 1900-06-18. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-01-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Farmer or No Farmer? Puzzling Question Arises in Federal Court". The Los Angeles Times. 1914-08-25. p. 15. Retrieved 2023-01-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Some More Dorsey". The Los Angeles Times. 1915-01-30. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-01-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Oppose Confirmation; Unsecured Creditors Attack Referee's Report in Dorsey Case". The Los Angeles Times. 1916-02-29. p. 24. Retrieved 2023-01-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Barnes, Eleanor M. (1922-11-13). "Story of Rebecca Dorsey". Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. p. 9. Retrieved 2023-01-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ WT (1901-03-30). "Rebecca Lee Dorsey, M.D." The Cecil Whig. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-01-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dr, Rebecca Kee Dorsey, Noted Obstetrician, Dies". The Los Angeles Times. 1954-03-30. p. 20. Retrieved 2023-01-03 – via Newspapers.com.